Bizmark'sMom

On 9/18/2021 at 6:39 PM, ysolde said:

I am a huge fan of the Quip toothbrush.  Great for travel and for those of us who live in smaller spaces.

Another Quip toothbrush fan chiming in. It travels beautifully.

On 12/21/2021 at 3:32 PM, hmm364 said:

where would you find a location in VANCOUVER BC to get covid tested before our cruise in Aug 2022

googling Covid test vancouver should bring up a list of possibilities.  This is exactly what I did in Houston to find a place to get a rapid PCR test. Uber was able to take me right there, and I had my results in 3 hours.

I was doing the same -- going through Chile for an Antarctic cruise. The airport gauntlet there is tricky.  Good luck!

This is only a guess...

Considering how picky Chile has been with the forms, any yes answer to anything relating to Covid definitely endangers your entry into the country.  Do everything in your power to make sure you stay healthy and are not exposed. (almost impossible with this new variant, I know)

The answer is; it depends.

While my expedition cruise to Antarctica was magical. Getting to and through Chile to embark was a nightmare. My normal travel style is to fly to a country, explore it, then get on a cruise. I won't do that again until things settle down a bit or at least the precautions are more solidified.  I have an upcoming cruise planned out of Barcelona this summer I'm having second thoughts about.

I would absolutely cruise out of the US. 

I'm normally a solo traveler, and while I'm flexible there is an element of risk I won't exceed when I'm alone. I know the US pretty well and could confidently pivot and do something else with my vacation time. That's harder to do in a country where I may speak the language but find the accident impenetrable, or may not speak the language at all beyond the very basic words.

Most of the PCR tests I've had use nostrils only. One used a swab from the back of my throat as well - that one was tough!

I've had no trouble with entities accepting PCR tests done either way.  All they care about is seeing that the test is negative.

For a trip of any length I pack for 6 days and do laundry. Everything I take can mix and match.

I do not remember the brand of the shampoo. But it really was good. My hair is thick and coarse. My SIL's hair is fine. We were both happy with the onboard toiletries.

The interior of the ship is definitely on the warmer side.  With my air conditioner in my cabin as cool as it would go, I slept on top of the covers most nights.

Most cruise lines are requiring passengers to be vaccinated. Requiring vaccination in order to fly wouldn't make any difference to cruising.

On 12/13/2021 at 1:07 AM, em-sk said:

 

If you are not traveling with a lot of luggage one option would be to fly to Zurich and take the train to Basil.  Train station is in the airport. 

 

 

.

 

 

I have done exactly this. It's really easy and straight forward.

I have Global Entry, and didn't get pre-check on my latest flight.  It's a random thing.

The US government is requiring the negative Covid test. The airlines are just the messengers.

Hurtigruten administered the tests on the ship the night before disembarkation. The results were handed to us as we left the ship. I haven't heard that anybody had issues getting home with the results of that test.

I can't speak to how other cruise lines are handling it. 

I do stay in touch via wifi.  My latest trip was a month -- 16 days on the ship, then pre and post travel weirdness.  Bills still need to be paid. My house sitter has questions that need to be answered. Life in general still has to be dealt with.  Interestingly, the wifi aboard ship in Antarctica was the best I've experienced at sea.  

I suppose if I were just doing one week cruises I would feel differently. But those don't interest me unless they are part of a longer trip.

Hurtigruten actively reminded people to pull their masks up. They also limited the number of people allowed in the lecture room and in the store.  Another thing they did was make sure passengers washed their hands at the hand washing station before seating anybody in the dining room.

In my case, the Mobility Pass took 3 days to come in.  My brother and SIL had theirs in a few hours. 

45 minutes ago, Heartfelttraveler said:

WTH - so sorry.  Did you actually miss your cruise?  Was this the thing you do within forty-eight hours of arrival?

I made the cruise. But others who ran into the same issue did not.

This is the thing that comes after submitting vaccine info to the Chilean government.  The pending QR code is not enough. You need the full on Mobility Pass QR code that says "validada".

5 years ago, crossing from Greenland to Baffin Island on the Nat Geo Explorer.

The captain came on the PA to tell us it was going to get "a little rocky."

The crew strung hand lines across the lounges.

Wine bottles were laid on the floor in special trays.

The same was done in the ship's store -- everything on shelves was stowed away.

A big bowl of dramamine appeared on the reception desk.

I laid down on my bed and hung on for dear life.  Everything in my cabin not already on the floor ended up there.

I heard back from H when something went wrong with my medical form upload.  I didn't hear anything from them after a successful upload.  It wasn't a problem -- I was able to board the ship with no issues.

My issues were getting into Chile in the first place.  DO NOT FLY TO CHILE BEFORE YOU HAVE YOUR COMPLETED MOBILITY PASS.  I know there are exceptions on Chile's website. I trusted that website and got turned around and deported back to the US.  You really don't want the airport police to take your passport and lead you away -- it's not a good time. 

On 12/15/2021 at 5:04 PM, Greg and Betsy said:

Hi

 

my friend and I are on the 1-28/22 cruise. We have a couple of questions. 
 

we arrive into Santiago the night before the cruise boarding. Do we do anything with H that day? 
 

what does the day we board the ship look like? When do we leave the hotel, how long in the airport before the flight and what if anything can we do in Puerto Arenas? 
 

when we were in Puerto Arenas in 2020 ( just before Covid broke) we took a great boat trip to an island and saw penguins. I would like to do this again if possible. 
 

What does  the last day look like? Arrival times into Santiago? We leave this day at 1030 pm. 
 

how cold abs wet has it been? Rain, snow, getting wet from riding in the zodiacs? 
 

thanks for your help. We are really looking forward to cruise. 
 

Betsy 

I'm the SIL who went along on the voyage...

As soon as you reach the hotel, H will administer their own PCR test, and then expect you to quarantine in your room until it's time to board the buses to the airport. Once in Punta Arenas, you'll board buses and be taken to the port where you'll get another Covid test and then embark.

H really works on building a covid "bubble". They weren't happy that I left the hotel and walked down to the Plaza del Armas and back. It's fairly intense.

On that note, expect lots and lots of covid tests. The running joke was "my nose stopped bleeding, it must be time for another test."

The weather was much warmer than I expected it to be.  But, of course, that can change.  I was roasting hot in wool tights, silk thermals, and my water proof pants. It can get really wet on the zodiacs -- the crew will tell you if it will be wet or not.  If they say to expect to get wet, expect waves to be splashing you. 

The final day we got back to Santiago around 3 pm.  Some passengers checked their luggage in and continued on to the US that evening. We stayed one night in Santiago before heading home.

I really like this;

https://www.trustthebum.com/collections/baby-bum/products/baby-bum-spf-50-mineral-sunscreen-lotion-fragrance-free-3-oz

Make sure to read the ingredients - not all of Sun Bum's products are reef safe. I have sensitive skin, and this stuff wins the prize for not breaking me out AND smoothing on nicely.

5 hours ago, evandbob said:

There are some cruisers who sail simply for the food.  The more choices the better.

 

I personally try to eat most meals in the MDR and specialty restaurants.  The more pax that frequent the buffet, the more comfortable my venue choices are.  Plus, I usually walk more on a cruise than at home (and some of that is my fault being on my computer posting to CC!), and I lost 4 lbs. on last week's sailing.

Seriously?

I can find better food any day of the week in Boise than I've had on the mass market cruise lines.  If I were traveling for food, I'd book a ticket to Barcelona, or Rome.

If you have some time after your tour, find your way to Le Relaise Josephine. It's a bar with an absolutely fantastic deck overlooking Tiputa Pass. The local wine (grown on Rangiroa) is really good.

(The photo is Bob, my travel buddy, with a glass of local wine on Josephine's deck.)

The buffet is perfect for days when I just want to eat and get on with other stuff.  I don't always want to dine. The buffet fills my needs perfectly when I just want to grab a meal.

34 minutes ago, Lois R said:

 I remember when I had PF and had to see the Podiatrist. First thing they told me....start wearing shoes (of some kind) on my feet and to STOP going barefoot.

  Usually I now wear some kind of flip flop/slide around the house.  Planter is

so very painful

 

I do wear something on my feet in the cabin too.

Same here. But I just cannot get used to wearing shoes all of the time.  It's an awful cycle. 

I'm a Duluth Trading Post Dry on the Fly pants fan. The things are excellent!

I do shop at Costco - best price out there for decent dog food - but their clothes just don't fit quite right. I'll buy pajamas there, because I don't care what they look like, and multi-packs of basic gloves and stocking hats to stow around.  Otherwise, Costco is just my stop for pet food, cleaning supplies, and Cetaphil lotion (the kind in the tub).